SMITH WAS ASKED TO LEAVE OSCARS CEREMONY AFTER SLAPPING CHRIS ROCK BUT REFUSED

It was the face slap which was felt around the world, actor Will Smith stormed onto the stage during the 2020 Oscars ceremony after comedian Chris Rock took a jab at his wife Jada's shaved head, a result of her suffering from the medical condition - alopecia.

The slap sparked a fierce debate online over if Smith was justified or not to physically attack the comic, with some calling for Will to have his Oscar stripped from him and even for criminal prosecution for assault against Rock. Others retaliated by claiming the comic had gone too far and had targeted a woman with an established medical condition for laughs.

Initially Smith seemed to take the jibe in his stride but his mood quickly changed as he realised what had been said.

The former 'Fresh Prince' actor has since tried to make things right by making a public apology to Rock but it now emerges that officials at the ceremony asked him to leave on the night, but Smith refused to do so.

It was ironic that shortly after the incident, it was announced that Smith had won the first Oscar of his career after picking up Best Actor for his Portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the film 'King Richard'.

The governing body has now announced that it has initiated "disciplinary proceedings" against Smith regarding his conduct.

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In its statement, the Academy said: "Mr Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, [but] we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently."

It also announced it had "initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct".

These include inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behaviour, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.